The Tape
by TheGryfter
Summary: Lois finds an old video tape as she packs for a move. The tape, a mirror to a not-so-distant past, stirs up all kinds of memories, both happy and painful, for Lois and Clark.
1. lois in tears

A/N: Hey guys... been a while, huh? Sorry about that. I'm trying to really concentrate on getting my novel done, so fanfiction's taken a back seat for a while.

This, however, is an anomoly.

The idea came about after I talked to SuperLC529, and a return to the script format (sort of) kept bugging me. It bugged me so much, I woke up at two o'clock this morning, and wrote this longhand.

Anyone familiar with _Angel_ will know exactly where this story comes from. I'm not to bothered about that.

As Sam Seabourne said in _The West Wing_: "Good writers borrow from the classics. Great writers steal outright."

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As always, reviews are love. Thanks y'all!

* * *

~*~

…**the tape…**

~*~

* * *

~*~

…**lois in tears…**

~*~

Clark was late.

And for someone with super-speed, this was particularly annoying. Clark knew he'd be in for it, too. Lois had asked him to help her move over a week ago, and had spent the subsequent days dropping hints to make sure he didn't forget.

Some hints were subtle: _"I wonder if I have enough boxes…"_

Others… not so much. Like the time he'd come back to his desk to find a photo of the Talon, and a photo of her new building taped to his monitor, with a note in-between: _'To get from here _(crude arrow diagram indicating Talon)_ to here _(crude arrow diagram indicating new place)_ I need you to meet me at noon. Noon, Smallville!'_

It was 12:45.

Still, Clark felt he was on the side of right. How was he supposed to know that an armed gang would try to rob a bank five minutes before a bus full of nuns went off the Met Bay Bridge?

A bus full of nuns! Honestly!

Clark hustled up the stairs and emerged onto the landing in front of Lois' apartment. The door was open, and he could see a stack of boxes already piled in the entryway. His guilt deepened. Stepping round them, Clark was already shoring up his mental armour for the assault that was sure to follow.

"Lo!" he called, "Listen, sorry I'm late! I got caught up with, uh… some chores at the farm. See, our cow Bessie, she can get a bit moody sometimes, and…"

Clark broke off mid-sentence. He'd spotted Lois. She was on the floor in front of the TV, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking slowly.

She was crying.

"Lois? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Clark launched himself across the room, falling to his knees by her side. Only when he laid a gentle hand on her arm did Lois even seem to notice him.

She tried to smile.

She failed.

"I'm fine…'' she choked, "I just…"

A fresh wave of tears broke over her, cutting off the words. Lois hugged herself tighter. Clark had seen Lois cry before – most notably after her break up with Oliver – but it was still so rare that it stunned him.

Also, this was different.

There were no sobs, no wails, no evidence of her pain other than the tears coursing freely down her cheeks and the gentle shaking of her shoulders.

Reaching forward, Clark pulled her into his embrace. Lois seemed to unravel and melt into his arms. She clutched at his shirt, burying her face in his chest.

And wept.

Clark trailed his fingers through her hair, gently stroking the back of her neck.

"Shh…" he cooed, softly, "It's okay…"

After a while, Lois seemed to calm. The shuddering ceased and she lifted herself out of his arms. Clark brushed the tears from her face.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, "I'm such a baby sometimes."

"What happened?"

Lois bit her lip, as though unwilling, or unable, to explain. But, typical of Lois Lane, she took a deep, strengthening breath, and soldiered on.

"I found something," she said, "I was packing up my old tapes, and it was just… there. I forgot I even had it. I don't know why I watched it. I should have known better."

"You found a tape?" said Clark, and she nodded, "It wasn't _A Walk To Remember_, was it? Because I thought we agreed to wait a year before watching it again – after the mush you turned into last time."

"It wasn't _A Walk To Remember_!" some annoyance crept into Lois' voice, banishing the sadness, for a while, at least, "And anyway, if I remember correctly, you were pretty mushy yourself, oh, every single time we've seen it!"

"I got something in my eye!" Clark protested.

"Thirteen times?"

"Yeah, well…" he blustered, "Anyone who doesn't cry when Landon takes Jamie to the state line and tells her she's in two places at once is just made of stone!"

Clark's explanation escaped in a defensive rush, and Lois giggled. The feeling that surged inside Clark when he heard that surprised him. It was beyond relief.

"What's on the tape?" he asked, carefully, lest she go off again.

"It's still in the machine," she said.

She picked up the remote, discarded beside her, and hit 'Rewind'. The odd, whining burr of the tape being spooled back filled the silence. The tape cranked to a halt and Lois hit 'Play'. The picture shifted from black, to dancing grey snow.

"How old was the camera?" asked Clark.

Lois slapped his arm and kept her eyes on the screen. After a couple of seconds, the picture resolved into an extreme close-up of slatted floorboards. Clark heard the weirdly enhanced, echoing clunking and shuffling as the camera operator got into position. The picture tilted, coming into focus, and Clark saw:

"My loft! What were you doing with a camera in my loft?"

"Relax, Smallville," said Lois, "This was way before we started going out."

"So… you'd be open to cameras now?"

Clark made a mental note to file that info away for later.

"Shh…" she said, "Watch."

Clark obeyed, reluctantly. The thought of Lois hanging around with a camera when he didn't know she was there was a disturbing one. There were things about him she didn't need to know.

Not yet.

A few seconds passed, and a figure stepped into frame. The camera, tilted and set at an oblique angle, negating the light streaming through the loft window, was still too low for Clark to make out the figure's face. It was a male, wearing a striped shirt and blue jeans.

The camera swung up, and the figure's open, boyish face filled the screen.

A face Clark hadn't expected to see again.

"Jimmy?"

I was helping him out last year," Lois explained, "We just used the loft. You don't mind, do you?"

"What were you doing?"

"Watch," she said, again, "You'll see."

.

.

.


	2. virtual intros the difficulties of

A note on the format: V/O stands for voiceover. You gotta picture it as just the voice, coming from behind the camera.

* * *

~*~

…**virtual intros – the difficulties of…**

~*~

_Jimmy squinted at the screen, shuffling from foot to foot, clearly nervous._

**JIMMY : **Lois, I don't think this is a good idea.

**LOIS (V/O): **Of course it is! It's mine! All I have are good ideas!

**JIMMY: **Oh yeah? What about the time you–?

**LOIS (V/O): **That was one time! And anyway, they couldn't prove it!

_(beat)_

**LOIS (V/O): **Now, just… do what I told you.

_Jimmy squared up to camera, nervousness still evident as he tugged at his collar._

**JIMMY: **I'm Jimmy Olsen…

**LOIS (V/O): **Cut!

**JIMMY: **All I said was my name!

**LOIS (V/O): **You did it wrong. Let's go again.

_Jimmy glared off-camera._

**LOIS (V/O): **Take two! And… action!

**JIMMY: **I'm Jimmy Olsen…

**LOIS (V/O): **Cut!

**JIMMY: **Oh, for the love of…!

**LOIS (V/O): **You can't do it like that!

**JIMMY: **Like what?

**LOIS (V/O): **That! Greet them first. This is an introduction. Make it personable.

**JIMMY: **Fine…

**LOIS (V/O): **Okay, take three. And… action!

**JIMMY: **Hello, I'm Jimmy Olsen…

**LOIS (V/O): **Cut!

**JIMMY: **What?!

**LOIS (V/O): **Are you introducing a documentary?

**JIMMY: **I'm not doing anything right now!

_(mumbles)_

**JIMMY: **Except, maybe plotting your horrible violent death…

**LOIS (V/O): **What?

**JIMMY: **What's the problem?

**LOIS (V/O): **Millions of girls are going to see this, Jimmy. You have to hook 'em right from the start. Don't just say _Hello_! That's dull. Pretend you're meeting them for the first time.

_Long, long pause. no movement from Jimmy. Sweat beads on his brow._

**LOIS (V/O): **What?

**JIMMY: **Did, uh… did you say millions?

**LOIS (V/O): **Don't think about that!

**JIMMY: **I can't help it!

**LOIS (V/O): **Just focus on me.

**JIMMY: **That doesn't make it better.

**LOIS (V/O): **Come on! Take four! Action!

_Long, long pause. Nothing from Jimmy._

**LOIS (V/O): **I said, action!

**JIMMY **_(gulps)_: Hey… I'm Jimmy Olsen. I'm from Metropolis. I'm a photographer for the Daily Planet. Or, at least I was. I kinda lost my job, and…

**LOIS (V/O): **Cut!

**JIMMY**_ (breathes out)_: Oh, thank God…

**LOIS (V/O): **Do you even want a date out of this?

**JIMMY: **Hey, this wasn't my idea to begin with!

**LOIS (V/O): **Look, I know my cousin – who gives new credence to the blonde stereotype – broke your heart into a million pieces…

**JIMMY: **Not helping, not helping, _not helping!_

**LOIS (V/O): **But you gotta get back in the game! You're a great guy, and I'm sure there's someone out there for you.

**JIMMY: **You think so?

**LOIS (V/O): **I know so.

**JIMMY: **Okay…

_Jimmy tucked his thumbs into his pockets, leaning back and flashing the camera a rakish smile. Or as close to rakish as Jimmy Olsen could muster._

**JIMMY: **Let's do this…

**.**

_PAUSE._

.

.

.


	3. clark's question

~*~

…**clark's question…**

~*~

Clark looked at Lois, frowning.

"Video dating?"

"I thought he could use a… nudge in the right direction."

"You mean a shove?"

"Whatever. He was hurting. Chloe had dumped him, he was working crazy hours at the Ace of Clubs, and he was miserable all the time. Jimmy was my friend, Clark. I didn't want to see him like that."

Clark smiled at her. Lois took the smile as some kind of affront, as usual.

"What?" she demanded.

"You're a great gal, Lois Lane."

Lois smiled back, fondly running a thumb along his jaw.

"Thanks."

"Does it get any better?" asked Clark.

"Oh, no…" said Lois, "It doesn't."

.

.


	4. likes and dislikes the boringness of

~*~

…**likes and dislikes – the boringness of…**

~*~

**JIMMY: **Hey, I'm Jimmy Olsen. You might have noticed my by-line in the Daily Planet…

**LOIS (V/O) (mumbles): **Better…

**JIMMY _(to Lois)_: **Can you let me do this, please?

**LOIS (V/O): **Sorry… Keep going.

**JIMMY: **I like long walks on the beach. At sunset. Sipping pinha colhadas in the…

**LOIS (V/O): **Cut!

**JIMMY: **What now?

**LOIS (V/O): **Long walks on the beach? Are you kidding?

**JIMMY: **Everyone likes long walks on the beach!

**LOIS (V/O): **This is Kansas! There is no beach!

**JIMMY: **Oh. Right.

**LOIS (V/O): **Go again. Take five. Action!

**JIMMY: **Er… where do I start?

**LOIS (V/O): **Just pick it up wherever. We'll edit it later.

**JIMMY: **Right.

_(beat)_

**JIMMY: **Now?

**LOIS (V/O): **Yes, now!

**JIMMY:** Like... right now?

**LOIS (V/O): **Yes!

**JIMMY: **I don't know what to say.

**LOIS (V/O): **Oh, for the love of… Cut!

_(beat)_

**LOIS (V/O): **Okay, let's do it this way. I'll ask you questions, and you just keep your eyes on camera and answer them, okay?

**JIMMY: **But… won't they hear your voice? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the kind of guy who puts a tape on a website like this doesn't get a girl to…

**LOIS (V/O): **We'll cut out my voice!

**JIMMY: **You can do that?

**LOIS (V/O): **Jimmy!

**JIMMY: **Cool. Okay. We'll do that.

**LOIS (V/O): **Alright, are you ready?

**JIMMY: **Shoot!

_(giggles)_

**JIMMY: **Shoot! Get it? You got a camera, and you…

**LOIS (V/O): **Stop it!

**JIMMY: **Sorry.

**LOIS (V/O): **Alright, how would you describe your perfect date?

_PAUSE._

_._

_._

_._


	5. cut to flashback

~*~

…**cut to flashback…**

~*~

"God, this is depressing…"

"He wasn't that bad!" Clark protested.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

Clark put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. Lois snuggled into him.

"Is he the reason, Clark?" she asked.

"What?"

"Jimmy," she said, "Is he the reason you went away?"

Clark didn't answer. He stared at the image on the screen. Jimmy's mouth cocked into that familiar half-smile. Clark had seen that same smile mere hours before a psychopath had snatched the young photographer away from them forever.

_~*~*~*~*~_

"_Your cut… it's gone!"_

"_Jimmy…"_

"_No! No, I'm not buying it! That whole, you're… you're here one second and then you're not? You took a bullet and the next day you were fine! It's like you're some kind of Super…_guy_!_"

"_Jimm__y... I am the Red-Blue Blur. You were right. About me and about Davis. You were the only person who put it all together. I'm sorry that I lied to you."_

"_I knew it… I was so right!"_

"_Jimmy I need your help. Do you still have that wedding gift? The one for Chloe that you said you never gave to her?"_

"_I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it."_

"_Well I need you to give it to her now. And whatever happens to me, I need you to make sure that Davis and Chloe are safe."_

"_Davis?"_

"_Jimmy, do you trust me?"_

"_Always… CK…"_

_~*~*~*~*~_

The tears escaped without Clark knowing. The sight of his friend's face – lit up, and unaware of the tragedy to come… it was just too much.

And it was all Clark's fault.

He'd asked Jimmy to protect Chloe and Davis. He'd put him in a room with a monster.

Jimmy had trusted him, and it was Clark's fault that he'd died.

Clark felt Lois' hand on his cheek. He knew she was staring at him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He wouldn't be able to stand it if she read the remorse in his eyes, and recognised it for what it was. Her breath whispered across his ear, and she kissed him.

Clark hung his head.

He picked up the remote.

.

.

.


	6. soulmates the reasons why

~*~

…**soulmates – the reasons why…**

~*~

**JIMMY: **My perfect date? That's a tough one.

_(beat)_

**JIMMY: **Somewhere comfortable. Somewhere relaxed, you know? Where we can talk. Really… talk.

_(beat)_

**JIMMY:** Because that's what a first date should be. It can be dinner at the fanciest restaurant, or a picnic under the stars, if you can't talk… then what's the point?

**LOIS (V/O): **And your perfect girl?

**JIMMY:** Someone I can talk to.

_Lois laughs._

**JIMMY: **I'm serious. Looks come second. I'm looking for someone who… gets me. The dumb jokes, the Abba collection…

**LOIS (V/O): **Abba collection?

**JIMMY: **Uh…

_(beat)_

**JIMMY:** Can we edit that part out?

**LOIS (V/O): **I think we'll have to.

**JIMMY: **My perfect girl…? You know, I think that's an unfair question.

**LOIS (V/O): **Why?

**JIMMY: **Because it doesn't have an answer.

_(beat)_

**JIMMY: **I could stand here listing all the things I want – sense of humour, great legs, blonde hair… it doesn't matter.

**LOIS (V/O): **Why not?

**JIMMY: **Because whatever girl I get… she'll be perfect anyway.

**LOIS (V/O): **She will?

**JIMMY: **Yeah… coz she'll be mine…

**.**

**.**

**.**

_PAUSE._


	7. i miss him too

~*~

…**i** **miss him too…**

~*~

"He never got his girl, Clark…" Lois' voice was strained again as she fought back the sorrow inside, "I don't get it. I'll never understand it. He was so… alive. Such a good guy. Why did this happen to him?"

Clark took her hand, clutching to it like a tether to the real world.

All he could see was Jimmy – in those last hours, last days…

Chloe said that Jimmy killed Davis even after he'd been run through with a re-bar, saving Chloe's life. Clark's exploits were hailed by the world, but he knew, he knew… Jimmy was the real hero.

"I miss him too…" he whispered.

.

.

.


	8. nows and futures the uncertainties of

~*~

…**nows and futures – the uncertainties of…**

~*~

**LOIS (V/O): **What about the future? Do you think about that?

**JIMMY: **I used to.

_Long pause. Jimmy stares off into the distance._

**JIMMY: **I guess I still… have hope for the future, you know? But what it is… I just don't know.

_(beat)_

**JIMMY: **I wanna be happy. I want… kids someday. A normal house, like any other house… on a street like any other street…

_(beat)_

**JIMMY: **My wife and I will lay in bed on Sundays. And maybe our kid will run in, jump into bed between us and we'll fight over the paper.

_(beat)_

**JIMMY: **That's what everyone wants, isn't it?

**LOIS (V/O): **Yeah… yeah, I guess it is.

_An almost endless silence... Then:_

**JIMMY: **Is that it?

_(beat)_

**JIMMY: **Am I done?

**.**

**.**

**.**

_FADE TO BLACK._


End file.
